Thickos
Guide To Distilling Alcohol - Introduction

Some time ago (about 1999), I set up a web site called
thickos.co.uk This seemed pretty
popular at the time, so I have reactivated it.

If I amend or add to any of the original information,
I will write in red ink, inside square brackets, [like
this].

Legal Stuff

The laws regarding the distillation of alcohol vary from
country to country. It is YOUR responsibility to know the laws which affect
YOU.

I am NOT encouraging you to make your own moonshine,
just describing how it can be done.

Health Risks

Apart from the usual risks associated with the consumption
of alcohol, there are extra risks involved with home brewed spirits.

Personally, I believe that a moderate intake of alcohol
can do you more good than harm, and that, with care, home made spirits
can be at least as pure as commercially made ones.

The main danger comes from methanol (methyl alcohol)
remaining in the finished product. This is nasty stuff, and if ingested
can cause severe headaches, blindness, or even death. The other alcohols
produced (apart from ethyl alcohol, which is what we are after) are also
bad for you. With care though, you can produce almost pure ethanol, which,
when diluted with distilled water, is indistinguishable from the finest
Vodka.

Another health risk arises from the materials used in
the manufacture of the still. For instance, if you cannot avoid soldered
joints, then you must use a lead free solder. Ideally, all components
of the still should be made from stainless steel. My own still was made
from an old pressure cooker, with plastic and copper tubing, and stainless
steel compression type fittings. I wouldn't advise anyone else to use
an aluminium pressure cooker to make a still, but, at the time I decided
it was OK for my purposes.

Aims Of Site

Basically the aims of this site are to:-

Provide free, easily understood information about the
home distillation of alcohol.

Provide links to other sites where good quality
information can be found